Scorpio Draconis
by CriticalAngel
Summary: Rift disturbances rather far afield alert the Torchwood Three team to strange goings on in the town of Rochdale, and to investigate, they go undercover as staff members at the local secondary school, Waterloo Road!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

"Last warning! If you aren't down at the SUV in five minutes I will personally cut your cuts out and feed them to Mwfanway!"

Ianto couldn't help but roll his eyes as Gwen's voice blared through the comm system. She was really getting stressed out about the whole thing, and he would have asked why, if he wasn't so scared that she would murder him for getting in her way. As she had come so close to with John when he had asked.

He rubbed a minute speck of dust off the shiny black bonnet of the SUV, listening with one ear as the obvious sounds of some people arguing came through the comms. It seemed as though Jack and John had forgotten to turn their communicators off before starting to yell at one another about...um...desks. Right.

He looked over at Tosh, sat in the front passenger seat, staring intently at the screen of her PDA, and smiling faintly. It looked as though she was listening as well, with almost as much amusement as he was. A fact that was proved when they both jumped at a rather loud crash, before looking at one another, grinning sheepishly.

"Right, are we ready?"

Ianto turned smoothly to face Jack's second in command, face blank. No way was he going to say how he had almost had a heart attack due to her sneaking up so quietly. That was something Ianto Jones would never say. He simply tilted his head, nodding in achknowlagement, not daring to open his mouth in case he burst into laughter. Something which he was positive would go down a storm.

Gwen looked around, running one hand through her dishevelled hair. "Ok, well, let's...where the hell are the boys?"

Ianto was about to answer, but Tosh beat him there. Here soft voice reached them from where she was still sat, eyes back upon her PDA.

"Jack's trying to squeeze himself under his desk, and Owen's trying to persuade Janet to take his place."

Ah. The argument about the desks suddenly made perfect sense. He wondered momentarily how long Jack had been planning that. And how the hell he expected to get away with it. After all, he had gotten stuck last time. Gwen rolled her eyes. "And John?"

"Covering himself with barbecue sauce and saying, and I quote, 'I'd rather let that bloody bird get me than those little monsters."

"She's a Pterradon, Tosh."

"His words, Yan."

"Oh for fucks..." Gwen reached up, tapping her ear to activate her comm., "Guys, did you not hear my warning? Only I seriously meant it!"

"Ahead of you already, baby."

"Ok, fine. John, if you don't get here now, I will scrape your digested remains out of that bird's –"

"Pterradon."

"- _bird's_ shit, stick you back together and use one of Jack's bloody gloves to bring you back just so I can personally kill you again myself!"

"Nice plan, freckles, but Jacky boys already told me that the gloves are dead."

"Fine! You're fired!" she seethed, just as Jack's voice reached them.

"Gwen, only I am allowed to fire people, as I am completely insisting on staying put, I am not likely to agree to that."

Ianto saw Gwen's eyes flash dangerously, and carefully slid into the seat beside Tosh. "Let me try, Gwen." He didn't wait for a response, only reached up to his ear as she herself had done. "Evening, gents..."

"Oh, not you as well, Yan! You can't seriously think this is a good idea!"

"Aww, has Jacky's little picture boy betrayed him."

"Unless you want me to come over there and eat you myself, John, I'd shut up!"

Ianto cleared his throat as John started to say something in retort. "Yes, I'm afraid I do, Jack. And that's not all that's going."

Silence. Then a new voice –"What the hell are you on about?"

"Was wondering where you got to, Owen." Jack's voice said scathingly, "Not planning on joining the dark side as well, are you?"

"Can I continue, gentlemen?" Ianto said, rolling his eyes at Gwen, who was angrily jabbing at the face of her watch. "Anyway, not only am I going, but I am taking the coffee machine as well, so –"

"Hah! That's not going to work, Tea Boy! Is it guys?"

Silence.

"Guy's?"

"Er..."

"Sorry, Owen. You may not be able to drink, but we do!"

"Yeah, no hard feelings kid. Get out of the bloody way Jack!"

"Traitors!"

Ianto grinned at the two girls; Tosh, who was laughing silently to herself, and Gwen, who was looking at him with a mixture of relief and wonder.

"Oh, and Jack? John? Unless you don't want any of the good coffee, I suggest you bring Owen with you as well."

He leant back as curses reached him, some directed at him, and others directed someone blocking their way. Oh, how he loved being able to do that.

"I'm not bloody well going!"

"Come on, Owen. What harm could it do?" Tosh said soothingly, her expression still one of amusement as she listened to his complaints. And struggles, it appeared.

"What harm could it do?" his voice was scathing, mocking almost.

"Just think of it as a holiday," Gwen said, now laughing freely.

"A bloody holiday? You're making us go back to school, for fucks sake!"

"I'm sure you'll settle in perfectly then." Ianto murmered, catching Tosh's eye.

"Piss off."


	2. Chapter 2

**Thankies to ****pumkkin**** for reviewing! Would love to get more though :( Anyway, next chappy, set at Waterloo Road :D**

Rachel sighed. It was the best time of the morning now, sat in her office before the usual chaos of the school day began. Leaning back in her big, squashy chair with her eyes closed, she wondered why on earth she felt so relaxed on a Monday morning. Most likely it had something to do with Eddie nuzzeling her neck.

"Hmmm...."

"Relaxed?" Eddie poked his head into her line of vision, a childish grin spreading across his features.

"Very..." she leant up and rubbed noses with him, before placing a soft kiss upon his lips. His hands crept around her head, stroking her hair gently...just as the phone rang.

They leapt apart, Rachel coughing with embaressment.

"Bloody hell, Rach. You really need a secretary."

Rachel sighed, standing up and making her way out of the door. Then she groaned, looking around at the masses of paperwork piled high on all of the surfaces. "I know. My new ones meant to be coming today...where's the phone?"

It took a while of searching until they found it, a time in which Rachel became more and more frustrated. If she had had someone to answer the phone for her, this could have been a time she could have been spending with Eddie. As it was, it seemed that the Monday morning chaos had begun. The phone had actually stopped ringing by the time they located it (how on earth it had ended up in the cactus bowl neither of them could figure out), but as soon as Rachel turned back to Eddie and wrapped her arms around her neck, it begun again.

She wasn't the only one to groan this time. In fact, as she raise the cursed object to her ear she saw Eddie's longing glances in her direction, and sent him a smile back.

"Hello?...speaking...oh, ok, where about's are you?...ok, don't worry...no, just get here as quickly as you can....ok?....no, no problem...ok, bye!"

She hung up, and collapsed into a nearby chair, knocking a pile of papers to the floor. "Oh, shi-"

"Language, Ms Mason."

"Shut up, you." Rachel leant back until she was facing the ceiling. "That was one of our new staff members. Apparantly they have run into a few problems on the way up here, and so are running late."

"What sort of problems?"

"Judging to the shouting in the background, the humane sort."

Rachel looked at him, before reaching up and wrapping her arms around his head again and pulling him down to her level.

"Won't the staff be waiting for us, Ms Mason?"

She smiled seductively at his cheeky grin, "I'm sure that's nothing to be worried about. Steph at least won't be in until half past at the earliest."

"It is half past."

Rachel groaned, before using him to pull herself to her feet. She released her hold on him, and brushed her clothes down. "Ok, ok. Come on then."

Eddie didn't move. "Rachel...why don't we tell them?"

She smiled at him. "Tell them what, Eddie?"

"About us."

The smile froze. "I...I don't know."

It was a lie. She knew exactly why she didn't want the rest of the school to know. She enjoyed the feeling of having him, of him just being hers. She wanted to keep her little secret to herself. And she was afraid. She was so happy now, but if she admitted it, it would be over. She knew from past experiences that she was right.

"Just...what's the point of hiding?"

"Well...I...I don't think..." she stopped in mid sentence, taking in his expression. He was pleading with her, begging her. They were motionless for a few seconds, before breaking into a huge grin. "Oh, go on then! You're right, what's the point of hiding? Let's tell them, let's tell them all."

He grinned, a massive, enthusiastic grin, before grabbing her around the waist and spinning her around. She laughed, happiness flooding through her, and kissed him deeply. But she couldn't escape that little nagging feeling at the back of her mind. That tiny part of her that couldn't help but count down to the end of the time they had.

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Thankies to ****pumkkin**** for reviewing again! Would love to get more though :( But oh well, just enjoy writing this really. But please, read & rate! **

* * *

All in all, Tosh considered, it hadn't been the most successful of car journeys. In fact, that was probably the biggest underestimate of the century. It had gone badly from the start, before they had even left. Apparantly Jack and John had only managed to 'persuade' Owen to leave the relative safety of Janet's cell (Tosh remembered Ianto had raised his eyebrows at that) by promising him that he would be the one who could drive. Only to find, when they actually reached the SUV, that Gwen had already bagsised it. And changed the seat size and the SatNav instructions into welsh so that no one else could take her place. Cue the first arguement between Owen and Jack, both attempting to prove that they should be sitting in the passenger seat next to Ianto while also trying to make it so that the other person was unable to be heard.

In the end Gwen had shoved them both into the back next to John, and taken the driving seat. Tosh and Ianto had exchanged amused glances before climbing into the double passenger seat, Ianto easily offering to give Tosh the window side. For the boys in the back, the seating arrangements hadn't been so easy to sort out. Cue the second arguement.

To begin with, Owen had sat in the middle, with John in the seat behind Gwen and Jack behind Tosh and Ianto. That hadn't gone well, and Owen had screamed enough that by the time they left the carpark, Gwen had stopped and ordered them to change seats. Owen had gotten fed up of Jack and John attempting to feel each other up _over_ him and demanded that Jack go in the middle. That had gone a bit better, even though Jack had been extremely interested in Ianto's arm and kept shouting abuse at the SatNav (apparently the only language in the universe that Jack couldn't understand was Welsh, but Tosh didn't believe that), for a couple of hours at least. Until John had given a delighted cry, after discovering that he had been sat right next to the computer panel, which housed a lot of inviting looking buttons.

They had had to pull over at the next service stations, where Gwen pulled a sheepishly grinning John out of the back seat and screamed at him for ten minutes, while Ianto had put out the small fire John had started by randomly pressing buttons, and while Jack and Tosh watched on trying not to laugh. Then Gwen had gotten even more annoyed, and as a punishment had sent John to catch Owen, who had attempted to run away in the chaos.

Once Owen had been dragged back (protesting loudly, much to Tosh's amusement), they were all crammed back into the car, with John in the middle, Jack behind Gwen and Owen behind the double seat. That had worked.

And then there had been the "I need to pee!" game. It had taken them a while to get wise to it, Tosh had to admit. They had already stopped at two other service stations and were half way round the third before any of them had remembered that Owen didn't need to pee. The boys had fallen about laughing at Gwen's expression, but had shut up when Ianto had threatened to smash the coffee machine.

And now they were on the last leg of the journey, running about five hours behind schedule. Tosh had already rung the school they were going to so she could explain, at the exact moment Jack and Owen had started yet another arguement, Owen accusing Jack of fitting the back doors with childlocks. That had gone on for quite a while, until Gwen had screamed at them to shut up.

Tosh sighed, and sank back into her seat, studying her PDA intently. No, the ride hadn't exactly been the most exciting. Or relaxing. Or bearable, in that case. Gwen looked extremely stressed out, something the boys in the back had already discovered and were doing their best to exploit. No doubt hoping that if they were as bad as possible, Gwen would let them go home.

"So, Gwen. Why exactly are you dragging us to a school?"

"As I've said so many times, Jack, there have been a few rift spikes in the area which have not given off normal readings. Now don't bloody ask me again!"

The was a pause, and some sly whispering coming from the back seat. Tosh exchanged a nervous glance with Ianto.

"So...what will be doing at this school?" Jack really didn't understand what shut up meant. Or maybe he did, but was too annoyed to comply. Tosh would have gone with the latter normally, but wasn't to sure now.

Ianto answered, and Gwen threw him a relieved glance. They were normally calm when Ianto talked to them.

"We've got jobs as staff there."

Another pause. Then... "What do you mean by 'staff'?"

"I mean, Jack, that we've all got jobs there. For example, Tosh has the position of an IT teacher, and Gwen is going to be the Head of Human Communications."

"So what about us?"

"You, Jack, are going to be the new PE teacher -"

"Sweet. Lots of fit -"

"No, Jack. Owen, you're...um...going to be the...school nurse -"

Tosh winced, waiting for Owen's outraged outburst. So she was pleasently suprised when he responded instead with: "Well, that's not so bad I guess. At least I won't see much of the little buggers."

"- I'm apparently going to be the headteacher's secretary -"

"Ha! That'll suit you, tea-boy."

"Thank you, Owen." Ianto shot a glare at Gwen. He wasn't too please about the job himself, if he was honest. Gwen shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.

"And what about me?" John asked, sounding slightly wary. Ianto saw both Jack and Owen sit up straighter in the mirror, exchanging gleeful looks.

"Um...I don't know."

"What do you mean, you don't know what job I'm doing?"

"Well...I think you've just got a job as a supply teacher..."

"What does that mean?" John looked blank.

"It mean's you've got to take more classes than anyone." Owen said, turning away from the lock he was currently trying to pick to smirk at him.

"No bloody way! There must have been other options!"

"Well...it was either that or the caretaker. But then you don't get access to the staffroom."

The was silence, while John mulled it over in his head. Then he groaned, and slammed his head backwards into his seat.

"I bloody hate you! Why couldn't I have been the PE teacher?"

Gwen snorted as she turned the wheel of the black, four wheeled drive vehical. "Letting you lose with a load of kids in skimpy kits? Get real, bollso."

Ianto and Tosh exchanged a look and rolled their eyes. Owen and Jack roared with laughter. And John...John crossed his arms over his chest and went into a full scale sulk.


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel blinked. Ok. This wasn't what she had expected. She had been guaranteed that her new staff would be perfeshional, and good at their jobs. And sure, they had let her know that they would be late (extremely late, according to the woman on the phone), but...well....just not arriving this late. Or in this much disarray.

It had caused quite a stir as the great big, black four wheeled drive car (which Eddie – and the rest of the schools male population - had quietly whistled at) had driven into the school grounds in the middle of the lunch hour. Flocks of the kids had been gathering around it as Rachel had Eddie had made their way down the front steps, but they had drawn back slightly as the drivers door opened and a woman had climbed out.

Rachel had walked towards her, through the throngs of students which had parted slightly before her. "Hello! You must be...."

The woman had turned towards her, smiling, and taking the offered hand. "Cooper. Gwen Cooper."

Rachel smiled back at her, shaking her hand. She had a firm grip, something Rachel was quite surprised at. She didn't exactly look like the type of person who would, what with the long hair and big eyes. The door on the other side had opened as well, and she had looked up in time to see two more people climb out. Another woman, Japenese looking, and a man, dressed in a smart looking suit, both of them wearing expressions showing clearly the fact that they were trying not to laugh. She smiled at them as well, before looking around.

"Where are the other three? Did they not travel with you?"

Eddie had been ushering the students back into the building by that time, something which they had been utterly unwilling to do (as most of the guys were drooling at the women, and the girls were eyeing up the suited man), and he grinned slightly at the Japenese woman, who blushed and smiled back. Rachel frowned at her reaction, as Gwen looked around, before groaning and yanking open the door behind the drivers seat.

"Out! Now!" The softness had completely gone from her voice, and Rachel raised her eyebrows at the grin exchanged between the man and woman on the other side of the door, as Gwen had reached inside the car and pulled out another man.

"All right! All right! Keep your hair on, Freckles!" He grinned at her, eyes glittering mischeviously. Rachel blushed slightly as his eyes fell upon her, but quickly masked it.

"Don't test me John!" Gwen said, voice dangerously low, "I've put up with enough of your shit today as it is. And you two -" (she turned back to the inside of the car) "- Out!"

Rachel felt like laughing as the Japenese woman sighed, and opened the back door on her side. "Come on, Owen. It's not going to be that bad."

"Says you." The man climbing out the back retorted. Owen, Rachel presumed. She couldn't help but stare slightly at his unnaturally pale skin, framed around his head by dark hair, and his one hand covered by a black glove. He caught her eye, and turned away quickly to face Gwen. "You know, it would have been easier for us to get out if someone -" there was a muffled thump from inside the car, as Owen kicked the final person "- hadn't fitted the back doors with bloody child locks!"

"Well, I'm so sorry." The final man said, poking his head out of the door, "Not that they would work now, due to the fact that you've been picking them the entire journey."

"Shouldn't have put them there in the bloody –"

Rachel and Eddie exchanged a look. The Japanese woman sighed as the two fully grown men began to argue (much to the amusement of the students who had somehow reappeared around them), and walked over to them, holding out her hand. "I'm Toshiko Sato, that's Ianto Jones -" (she pointed to the smartly dressed man now trying to pull the other two men apart) "- Gwen Cooper, you've been introduced. That's John Hart -" (she pointed to the man Gwen had pulled out, who was leaning on the roof of the car, grinning at the fight going on between the other two) "- and those two idiots are Owen Harper and Jack Harkness."

"Doctor Owen Harper."

Toshiko rolled her eyes. "Well, act it then. Stop the argueing, or Yan really will smash that coffee machine."

The man called Jack looked away from Owen, over to where Rachel and Eddie were standing. He grinned, before walking casually over towards them, stopping in front of Rachel. "That's Captain Jack Harkness. And who, are you?" He took her hand, earning himself a glare from Eddie and a sharp jab in the ribs from Toshiko.

"Stop it!"

"Ow, Tosh! I was just saying hello!"

"I don't mind," Rachel said, grinning back at him, before winking. Eddie gave a low growl behind her, before steering her slightly away.

"Come on. Let's go inside, and introduce you to the rest of the staff, shall we?" he said, still glaring at Jack, who seemed not to notice. Eddie turned, spinning Rachel around as he went, and led the way back inside, not bothering to check to see if the newbies were following. But judging by the looks that appeared on all of the students faces as they past, they were.

**Comments? XP**


	5. Chapter 5

**Next bit! A great big hug to everyone who has taken time to review! It means so much to me :D Enjoy...**

* * *

"I'm Steph Haydock. I bet you're 'pleased' to be here, amongst us lowly commoners, aren't you? Well, ask me if you need anything I am 'here to help' after all.."

John cringed. In fact, he had been cringing right from the 'lowly commoners' bit. How much more forward can a woman get? In his experience, not very. And she still hadn't finished. He was even leaning back slightly now, something with John Hart had never, ever done before. Well...not that he would admit to have done it before.

He looked around, a pleading expression in his eyes, but the others seemed to wrapped up to do anything about it. Jack and Eye Candy were talking with the tall man and the head teacher. Reddie and Eachel, or whatever it was (much too complicated, those names. Something simpler would work, like...Bob. Bob and Wendy. Sounded like an insane idea some silly people would have for creating a TV show with talking machinery in it, but it was a start). And the word 'talking' was used loosely here. Jack seemed to be flirting, and Eye Candy seemed to be getting in the way. As usual.

Freckles and Toshiko seemed quite busy as well. Again, that term was a loose one – Freckles (he really had to try to remember her name, it was annoying him now) was talking animatedly with the dark skinned woman (something about marking, whatever that was), and Toshiko had buried herself in her PDA already. And seemed to be being criticised for doing that by an old, bald man, who John could clearly see was ringing the horses in the racing paper which he was going to bet on.

And then Owen was....He cast his eyes around again, only to find Dead Guy standing directly behind the woman who seemed to be seriously considering eating him up. Leaning against the wall and laughing.

"...I'm the Head of French here, by the way. If you want we could have some," (here she took a step even closer towards him, even though John had sworn that had been impossible) "Private lessons..."

"Er..."

That was it. The legendary John Hart, [I]Captain[/I] John Hart, could only manage that.

"Er..."

That was how terrified he was at that moment. Something which, judging from that gleam in Owen's eye (well...not technically a gleam. Dead eyes don't gleam...not usually. Although sometimes John could swear he could see multicoloured lights flickering across the surfaces of Owen's eyes, but every time he mentioned it, he was normally kicked. And kicked hard), he was not going to live down any time soon.

"Steph, play nice..."

The blonde woman before him rolled her eyes, her heavily lipsticked mouth pouting. But she moved away a bit, which was a good thing. Although she was still too close for John to be able to breathe without tasting her perfume. And Owen was [I]still[/I] laughing! How...annoying was that? Laughing at the misery of other people was usually [I]his[/I] job!

"Stephanie...."

"Fine, fine." Steph backed further away, and turned to face the person addressing her. "I'll just go and make you coffee then, shall I?"

"That would be nice...and I'm sure once he's gotten over his shock, he'd like one too."

A hand gestured in John's direction, but he didn't notice it. He was instead considering whether any of the various devices strapped about his person (seriously, you do not want to know where...let's just say they really need a wash before being using in an operating theatre) would be able to bring Owen back from the dead, just so he could kill him himself. Instead, the only thing he could think of was the two pence piece he was fingering (rather nervously) in his pocket.

"Oi! Cheeky, little...."

"Calm yourself Grandma, and go and make the tea, why don't you?" A cheeky grin, a slight push, and the Steph woman was tottering away. John turned thankfully to his saviour.

"I cannot tell you how thankful I am."

The other man laughed, blue eyes bright and glittering with a mischievous glint, "Don't go saying that so loud, she's not so bad." He stepped forward, and held out a hand for John to shake. "I'm Matt, by the way."

John took the offered hand, and smiled. A smile that had nothing to do with the other man's startling blue eyes, soft blonde hair, comforting hand, or dazzling smile. No, instead, it was rather more to do with the round, copper coin which had just struck a rather startled looking Owen above the ear. Although...he couldn't say he didn't notice the other reasons.

* * *

**Comments? 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Next bit! Specially dedicated to **DEFiiANCE **for reviewing! :D **

"I bet it's going to bruise."

"I'm sure it won't..."

"It's going to fucking bruise!"

"Owen..."

"Who's the doctor out of us, Tosh?"

A sigh. Then. "You Owen."

"Glad we got that cleared. Now I'm going to be walking around with purple shaped round mark above my ear for ever. Fucking John..."

"Owen..."

"What?"

Toshiko rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh. Since the...accident (the second one, she should point out. The whole, power-station-lockdown-rift-blah-blah-blah which none of them would ever bring up out of fear that they might wake up the next morning, stripped naked and hanging upside down off the roof of the SkyPoint hotel – like John) Owen had stopped being as grumpy. Sure...he was grumpy, still, something no one could blame him for out of respect for the dead, but it had lessened a little since the rift rescue/infection thing. Now he was just plain embarrassing.

She looked around. Everyone else seemed to be getting on well with their new...collegues. Jack hadn't yet been punched for chatting up Rachel (although...that did look like it would happen soon...) and John hadn't shot anyone. Well...not yet, but that was always a start.

In fact, John was being suspiciously well behaved. He was stood in the kitchen area, leaning against the cupboards, talking and laughing with another man. Again, Tosh rolled her eyes. Always the same...John was even worse than Jack when it came to flirting.

Owen was looking around now, finally having realised that his mini rant wasn't getting him anywhere. His eyes slid sideways, until he was looking at Tosh. A pang of...something shot through him. Regret? Maybe...He studied her dark skin, slightly pointed eyes and heart shaped face. And sighed slightly. If only he'd realised what he felt sooner. Maybe they could have had something...but not now.

You didn't get any luxuries when you were dead.

Tosh looked at him suddenly, a slight frown crossing her features, just as a bell rang through the room, and all the actual teachers started getting slowly to their feet. She reached over, and took his hand gently, as Gwen came over.

"Come on you two, Rachel's going to show us to our classrooms."

They both nodded, moving in sync, and Tosh squeezed his hand slightly for comfort. Owen looked down. He couldn't feel it of course...but it was nice to know she cared. He just didn't know how to tell her that he did as well.

"Come on!"

They looked at one another, rolling their eyes, before standing up and walking after Gwen, following the stream of teachers (all of whom seemed desperately trying not to be the leader – that job seemed to have gone straight to Jack). They were about to leave the room, when Jack yanked all three of them to the side.

"Wha –"

Gwen didn't manage to get any further, due to Jack's sly grin. And the heavy boot which stamped down on her foot at that moment, but Jack would only say it was his charm. As Jack would.

"Listen...we are here to do a job, remember. Tosh, I want you to set up scans of the area – check for any rift energy, alien traces...you know the drill."

"Er..."

"Shut up, John. Got that Tosh?"

Tosh nodded, and Jack turned to Ianto. "Yan, you go through the records of the school, take notes of all the incoming calls, invoices...you know, paperwork stuff, you like that."

"Jack..."

Ianto nodded somberly, resolutely ignoring John. "Of course sir." But when Jack turned to Gwen and Owen, he rolled his eyes.

"Right, you two are to watch the people here."

"The thing is..."

"Survelence for alien anatomy?"

"OW!!"

"Basically, yes." Jack grinned, removing his boot from John's, before turning to him. "Yes John?"

John glared at him, rubbing his foot with one hand. "Don't feel like saying it now."

Gwen rolled her eyes, "John, just spit it out."

"Don't want to."

Jack growled. "John..." more of a warning than a threat, but John got the drift. Eventually...

"Well..." he straightened up from where he was still leaning against the kitchen counter, a mug in one hand....a mug which he had been studying resolutely since the person he had been talking to had left. "If you had just listened to me in the first place..." he held out the mug.

Jack took it, curious despite himself. He looked down at it, and whistled. "Now there is something..."

"What?" Gwen frowned, and Tosh and Owen exchanged a bemused look. John raised his eyebrows at them. Neither seemed to have noticed that they were still holding hands.

"Look at that..." Jack said, tilting the mug in Gwen's direction, clearly showing the bright gold, sparkling residue swirling around in the bottom of it.

"Well..." Owen broke the silence. "Er...are we going to stand here looking at a mug all day?"

"I was going to ask the same thing."

They all wheeled around. Rachel was standing there, arms folded, one eyebrow raised at them. And desperately trying not to laugh, John noted.

**Comments? 3**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Thanks again to my loyal reviewers, but would love to get some more! :D**_

_**

* * *

**_"Alright class, line up in pairs. Quick as you can."

Jack surveyed the group of giggling, gossiping students – or his class, as any (or almost any) other teacher would have called that mess. He stood still, feet planted firmly on the ground, hands on hips, a stance that was halfway between the fighting on, and the retreating one. He didn't know what to expect, after all.

This was his first so called 'lesson', and already (even though they had actually only just dragged their lazy arses out onto the netball courts) he had learned two, very important things. One – A group of teenage girls, scantly glad, in the presence of a self-proclaimed sex god such as himself, were definitely one of the most annoying things he had ever encountered, second only to Toshiko when Owen hid her chocolate. And two – everyone in this school preferred to flirt rather than to learn...or teach, judging by that blonde French teacher he had seen earlier. Although, to be honest, this wasn't actually a bad thing where Jack was concerned, seeing as he had no idea what he was meant to be teaching them.

"Sir! Sir!" a plain, rather worried looking girl came hurrying (not really running, to be frank...), an intense expression on her face, "Sir, Aleesha says Danielle has really, really hurt herself and needs someone fit and handsome like you to come and save her." She'd said it all in one breath, obviously repeating someone's exact words. That someone who became noticeable by the loud, indignant squeal coming from that back of the line.

He grinned when he reached the source of the commotion, unable to help himself at the sight of a ginger girl on the floor, obviously posing in quite a poor manner, and a dark skinned, curlynob girl standing by her, who could only be Squealer.

"Sir, it really, really hurts..." Ginger whimpered slightly, fluttering her eyelashes at him, and raising one of her legs in the air. One of her long, creamy legs...He shook his head quickly. Gwen would kill him if he thought that about someone he was meant to be teaching.

"Well, we'd better get you to the nurse's office then." Jack grinned at her.

The two girls looked at one another, Plain standing behind them both, still looking worried. Squealer opened her mouth to say something, or to squeal again, Jack thought, but she didn't get very far, for in one fluid movement, Jack had bent down and scooped Ginger. She shrieked in surprise, struggling slightly in an undignified manner, making Jack almost laugh in amusement. He absently remembered to shout back to the remainder of the class to stay put, before sprinting into the main building, Squealer and Plain Girl for some reason following close behind.

~*~TW-WR~*~

Owen was bored. Extremely, undeniably bored. Something which, to be honest, was most likely being noticed by the many people walking past and gawping at him through the open door. With hindsight, he really should have closed it first, but he really couldn't be bothered to do it now. That would involve having to move, and he was actually quite comfortable leaning here against the cupboards...

"Please, for the love of god, don't tell me you've been drinking again."

...admittedly if he was the wrong way up. He sighed. "No, I haven't Jack. You don't need to back away any further."

He flipped back onto his feet, quite neatly in fact. He turned slowly on the spot, eyeing the figure in the doorway, or, most noticeably, the ginger girl cradled in his arms. Owen raised an eyebrow. "Not your usual method of picking girls up, is it?"

Jack rolled his eyes, walking over to the sofa in the corner and setting the girl down, "Ha ha. Very witty. Now wipe that stupid smirk of, Mr Harper."

"Doctor, Jack. Doctor Harper."

"Whatever, sweety." Jack winked at him, before walking back to the door. He caught Owen's eye as he did so, and pointed slyly to the ginger girl, mouthing "Attention seeker". Owen tutted. Trust Jack to leave him to deal with those people.

He turned back to the girl on the sofa, who was staring at him quite openly. He waved mockingly at her, making a deep blush spread over her face. The resemblance to a tomato suddenly became most striking.

He bit back laughter as he walked over to her, his professionalism taking over. "Alright, so what's the problem?"

"Oh...I...er....my ankle..."

She was saved from having to answer by an interruption from the doorway. "Are you really a doctor?"

Owen turned slowly, to see two more girls peering in through the still open door. "What?"

The plainer one of the two suddenly looked awkward. "I...I asked if you were really a doctor..."

Owen nodded curtly, "Yes, I am." He turned back to Ginger, checking her obviously undamaged ankles for any injuries.

"I want to be a doctor."

"Do you?"

"Yes. My mum says I'd make a good one because doctors have to remember what to do and I always remember what to do."

"Ah...good..."

The other girl chose that moment to interrupt. She tossed her head slightly, his bushy brown hair waving around her head. "So, if you're a doctor...why were you doing a headstand against those cupboards?"

"Because I was bored..." Owen said obviously, rolling his eyes. He reached out a hand to run it along Ginger's ankle, but she pulled away.

"Jesus, your hands are freezing!"

Owen blinked, frozen for a moment, before he smirked, "Well, your ankle seems to be perfect..."

Ginger blushed again. He laughed, getting to his feet. "I'm going to prescribe you three sitting in here for a bit, then going out to annoy the pants of Ja...Mr Harkness some more."

"Isn't that your job, Corp?"

Owen couldn't help but groan, turning back to the doorway, which the two girls had hurriedly vacated to make space for the newcomer, who was leaning against the doorframe. "What do you want, _Johnny_?"

John shrugged. "Nothing. Just thought I'd see if I could annoy you again."

"Well, that's brilliant. Only, if you excuse me, I have patients to attend to."

"I thought you'd already finished with them."

"Well, I have just realised I haven't. Now scoot. And shut the door behind you!"

John rolled his eyes, pushing himself upright. "Fine, Corpy. I'll go find someone else to taunt then. See ya ladies." He winked at the three girls, before quickly pulling the door closed, just has the box of plasters hit it, right where his head had been.

Owen snorted. "Idiot. Shame I missed really, the twat."

But he couldn't help but smile as he listened to the laughter of the girls behind him.

~*~TW-WR~*~

John was already laughing as he walked away from the nurse's office, the sound of the box of plasters hitting the wood ringing through his head. What a pathetic thing to throw, a box of sticking plasters. The thought of it only made him laugh harder. In fact, he was laughing so hard as he walked around the corner that he walked right into someone coming the over way. Although, he also didn't notice that he had walked into anyone until he hit the floor hard.

"What the hell?" So what if his voice was angry. That fall had actually hurt! Something certainly had to be done about the softness of the corridor floors in this place. Maybe spongy foam...

He was all set to glare over at the other person, who appeared to be crumpled in the middle of a load of falling paper, until he recognised the blonde head. Then he just swore.

"Shit. I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

Matt just groaned, pulling himself back to his feet, rubbing his head, and looking about him with a blank expression. And adorable, blank expression John couldn't help but think. His blue eyes looked around until they focussed on John. Then he smiled faintly. "I'm ok. No worries."

He sighed, looking at the scattered paper that now covered most of the floor, before bending down again to pick it up. John just stood there, watching him. He would have offered to help, but in fact he was still in shock from having actually apologised to him. Who the hell was he? Nothing but a silly teacher, that's what. Maybe worth enough for a quick shag at break time, not for apologising to! Captain John Hart never apologised! It just...wasn't what he did!

"What were you finding so funny anyway?"

John jerked back to the present, to find Matt looking up at him intently. "What?"

"You were laughing. I just wondered what was funny."

"Oh, just Owen."

Matt laughed, picking up the last piece of paper before getting back to his feet. "Right, 'cause that's worth laughing at."

"Hey, you can have a right laugh at Corpy." John said absently, looking around. He spied a stray sheet of paper wedged in between two lockers, and reached out to get it, just as Matt did the same. Their hands brushed, just for a moment, but that was enough. The instant their skin made contact, a spark shot down John's hand. He quickly pulled it away. Then just felt stupid.

Matt sighed, turning away. "It's not contagious, you know."

John frowned slightly. "What isn't?"

Matt looked surprised for a moment, and then shook his head. "Doesn't matter." He smiled at him, before heading away down the corridor. John watched him for a moment, before sighing and hurrying after him.

"So...what's that lot?" John asked, gesturing to the pile of paper in Matt's hand.

The blonde haired, blue eyed, greek god like man beside him looked down at it, and then shrugged. "The script for the play. Allan...Mr Summers...wanted it by break."

"What play?"

Matt laughed. "Oh, right, you're new here aren't you? This plays been getting on most of the staff nerves for weeks now, ever since Mr Summers arrived. He's taken most of their classes for rehearsals, even though the script hasn't even been given out yet."

"What's it about?"

He shrugged. "Basically a love story. And then a wedding. Bit rubbish, if you ask me. But I'm not allowed a view on it. 'Tis Mr Summer's play, this. Not mine." He laughs.

John smiled back at him, not really listening. Just enjoying the sound of his voice. But as soon as that thought entered his head, he shook it out, frowning. What the hell was happening to him?

~*~TW-WR~*~

Toshiko sat in the warm silence of her computer room, lit only by the blue glows coming from the screens lining the walls, and from her own. She'd already installed all the Torchwood equipment she'd brought, and was now running a scan of the school as well has hacking into the CCTV footage of the building. Plus there was the instant messenger in the corner, keeping her in touch with Gwen, who has been dragged off to a meeting already and was now calling for help using the MSN on her phone. Much to Tosh's amusement.

She could hear faint voices from outside her room as people walked to and fro between lessons, the sound almost comforting in the otherwise silent room. Her pixie like eyes flickered from screen to screen, a small smile playing across her lips, as she looked for anything that might be considered out of the ordinary. But it was only when she heard John's voice walking past her room (along with someone else she couldn't recognise) that anything was registered on the scrolling realms of data.

A small bleeping alerted her to it, and as she brought of the scanning window with a swift click of the mouse, she frowned.

"Unusual energy readings?" She muttered quietly to herself as she sped read the data coming out of the sensors. The voices outside faded away, and so did the readings, until they were barely noticeable. But they were there; only noticeable now she knew what they were.

She tapped her pen against her lips, brows furrowed in concentration. It wasn't a reading from a human, she was sure of that...

"But it's not from the rift either..."

Jack needed to know.

* * *

_**That little Review button is calling you...I know it is...:D**_  


* * *


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thanks again to my loyal reviewers, but would love to get some more! :D**_

_**

* * *

**_

Rachel let out a groan as she flopped down into her plush office chair, fanning herself with one hand, eyes closed. How she hated bloody board meetings. Two hours stuck in a stuffy room with a load of pompous gits who looked down their snotty, running noses at her. Usually, it was bearable, simply because she could rest her feet in Eddie's lap beneath the table as she pretended to be interested in whatever drizzle the management berks were talking about. Not this time though. No, Eddie had decided that he would rather teach than attend the meeting with her. Lucky bastard.

But hey, she hadn't been stuck in that room all on her lonesome, amongst people she had never spoken to before in her life, no. That new teacher, Gwen, had also been forced along. And at least Rachel bothered attempting to look interested. Gwen was obviously messing about with her phone the entire time.

"Please remind me why I took this job?"

Rachel opened on eye, looking over at the dark haired woman sprawled on the sofa, still in the position she had landed in when they finally managed to get out of that hell hole of a board room.

"I don't know. Why did you?"

Gwen pushed herself up onto her elbows, looking over at Rachel quizzically, as if only just noticing she was there. "What? Oh..never mind. Yan!"

Rachel couldn't help but jump slightly as Gwen shouted the last word, both eyes flaring open in time to see her smartly dressed secretary appear in the doorway.

"Problem Gwen?"

Gwen pushed herself further upright, swinging her legs so she was sat in something resembling a sitting position, and looked at the man.

"Yeah. Just got back from the morning from hell and need..." She trailed off. Most likely because Ianto had just held a steaming mug beneath her nose. She smiled dreamily, taking it in both hands. "You life saver, Yan."

Ianto smiled curtly, turning to Rachel, and offering her an identical mug. She took it, eyebrow raised. "Erm...thank you. How did you know?"

He smiled, bowing his head slightly, "All part of the job, Ma'am."

Rachel jerked slightly in suprise. "Sorry, what did you call me?"

Ianto's head tilted slightly in suprise. "Ma'am?"

Rachel shook her head violently. "No way. Don't call me that. Rachel is just fine."

He blinked. "Oh...alright then...Rachel." He turned his head slightly, looking at Gwen, who, Rachel now noticed, was studying the contents of her mug with an expression belonging to someone who was obviously trying not to laugh.

"Thank you Ianto." She smiled gratefully, taking a sip of her coffee, eyes widening in suprise. It was...perfect. Just how she liked it. And Ianto must have known that, because he smirked slightly in Gwen's direction, just as there came a knock at the door.

Rachel sighed, sitting forward in her chair and pretending to be busy, "Come in."

The door opened, and one of the other new teachers walked in, the pretty, asian woman – Tosh, or whatever it was.

Her dark eyes flickered over to Gwen. "I thought you'd be here. I need you to run over some files for me...is that ok?" the words seemed foreign in her mouth to Rachel, but the smile genuine enough.

Gwen looked confused for a moment, until sudden realisation hit her. "Oh...right...Coming." she got to her feet, smiling back at Rachel. "See you later."

Both women walked out, passing Ianto in the doorway where he stood with a pile of paperwork, at the sight of which Rachel groaned again. In fact, she groaned so loudly she almost missed what Toshiko said next on her way out.

"...abnormal readings. Not something from the rift...You should take a look..."

She would have heard more, if Ianto hadn't quickly shut the office door, blocking out the rest of the sentence. Rachel sighed, putting her mug down on her desk before looking at the paperwork warily. "I'd better get started, hadn't I?"

Ianto looked slightly sympathetic, looking down at her empty mug as he put the papers down in front of her. "I'll make more coffee."

She was going to need it.

* * *

_**That little Review button is calling you...I know it is...:D**_

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Next Update :D Thanks again to all my reviewers, and sorry that this isn't that good...But tell me what you think anyway :D**

* * *

It was quite dark and cool in Tosh's ICT suite by the time Owen got there, late as usual. He looked around as he entered, taking in the blue glowing screens lining the walls, before flicking his eyes in the direction of the group of people gathered around the main teaching desk.

"About time, Corpy." A horribly familiar voice drawled. Owen rolled his eyes, walking slowly over to them.

"I was busy. Actually doing work unlike you lazy sods." He said, glaring pointedly at John. He smirked back.

"Excuse me, I have been doing work. I have been sat in a bloody board meeting all morning!"

Owen grinned. "Wondered where your lovely, welcoming tones had vanished too Gwen." Then he ducked to avoid the board pen thrown in his direction.

"If you break anything, I will wait until you have paid for a replacement, and then I will kill you." Toshiko said absently, looking intently at the screen they were all gathered around.

Owen looked at her blankly. "Er...will you Tosh? How?"

A flash of guilt crossed the darkish skin of the asian woman, and she looked at him quickly. "I didn't mean..."

"Enough chit chat! Now that we are all here...finally...Can we please see what is so important that you have to show us, Tosh?" Jack's voice was rather snappish, and he was leaning against the back of Tosh's chair, in a way that could have been called relaxed if it wasn't for the expression on his face. Although, the whole thing was ruined slightly by the way he was rubbing tiny circles on Ianto's arm.

Tosh coughed hurridly: "Yes...right..." she pushed her glasses back up her nose, trying desperately not to keep glancing over in Owen's direction guiltily. Owen wished she could try harder. "Anyway...I've been installing and programming all the various programs we brought with us...and modified a few to suit our present environment. The building has been mapped and recorded in a 3D simulation program I developed last week. Everything that happens from now on will be recorded, scanned and monitored."

"Right, so...you called us down for a progress report?" John asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not that it isn't absolutely fascinating and amazing the way you've set it all up, I don't see why you couldn't have told us later. Why disturb our lunch?"

"If you had let me finished, _Johnny_, I would have told you." Owen couldn't help but grin at the ice evident in Tosh's voice. And then he grinned harder when John noticed and gave him a two fingered salute.

Gwen rolled her eyes, turning back to Tosh. "So what did you call us here for?"

Tosh turned back to the softly lit screen, and with a swift click brought up a new window. "This."

"Er...and what's so important about a load of squiggly lines...OW!!"

"Carry on Tosh." Gwen smirked, as John glared at her reproachfully, rubbing his head.

Jack leaned over Tosh's shoulder, looking at the readings with a calculating eye. Owen could have sworn that he was faking understanding, seeing as all he could see as well was a load of blue squiggly lines. But he'd never know...seeing as Tosh was obviously going to explain it.

"These are the results from the tests on the substance we found –"

"I found, you mean."

"-_Johnny_ found in the cup earlier. I haven't been able to recognise the formulation of it...It's not something that matches with any of the Torchwood records. I've even hacked into the UNIT archive, and it doesn't correspond even slightly with anything they have..." Tosh trailed off, gently lifting up a plastic pot containing, as Owen called it, the Swirly Goldy Stuff.

"So...basically this is an unknown substance?"

"Yes...but from what I can make out, it is a bio-genetic substance...It's something made by a living creature, or a residue from something else, but I don't know what." She looked quite put out by this point. "I just don't know..."

Jack grins. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're brilliant you are."

Tosh blushed prettily, flushing her elvin cheeks slightly pink, then she coughed, embarrassed. "But this, however...The scanners have picked up traces of another sort of energy. Alien."

"Well, it isn't the rift." Owen said confidently. He was sure he would have known if it was, even if he didn't want to. A sort of gift left behind from the rift after it 'rescued' him from the power plant. Some gift. His life back would have been more preferred. Instead he just got splitting headaches.

"No, it's not rift. I know that much. But look..." Tosh pulled another window open on the screen, and they all bent closer in. Well, Gwen and Ianto did. Owen and John fought for the last open space in muffled silence, and were rather put out when Jack pushed them both out of the way. "These readings are similar to those...They seem to come from the same creature, left behind as residue. And I've scanned the building...they actually appear faintly all over the place."

"So whatever it is, it's here. And you can track it down?" Jack prompted, examining the screen.

Tosh stopped momentarily. "I'm not sure."

Jack turned his head to her. "Why?"

"Well...if we _- Shut up John – _hadn't found the substance in the staffroom this morning I doubt this reading would have even showed up. It appears to have hidden itself _within_ the natural background radiation. Tracing would be virtually impossible, unless we had enough substance to begin with. This -" she raised the plastic tub slightly "- Isn't going to be enough, I doubt."

"Well, that's simple then. We need more of it." Gwen said.

Jack sighed, catching Tosh's meaning, "But we don't know where to find it."

A silence fell over the room. Until Owen said (whilst turning around to walk out the room). "Oh well. Let's go home. I'm packed and ready -"

Ianto didn't even wait for prompting. His hand shot out and caught hold of Owen's shoulder, yanking him back to the group sharply.

"There has to be a way..." Jack was once again looking at the screens with a (obviously faked, in Owen's opinion) critical eye.

"Well...there might be." Tosh said slowly, and looked over at the far side of the room. The rest of the team followed her gaze.

John hurridly skipped several paces to the left. Tosh's gaze followed him.

"It wasn't -!"

"I didn't say it was."

" I can't -"

"You might be able to. The readings didn't actually make themselves clear in this building until you walked past this room earlier."

"But I haven't done -" John wailed.

Jack clapped his hands together, interrupting John's protests. "Right, we'll talk more later, at the hotel. I'm hungry." He grinned widely at them all, "Class dismissed."


	10. Chapter 10

**Not sure if anyone's still reading this, but thought I'd put it up anyway. Why else would I write it? :P **

* * *

Something important John had already learned about being a student teacher in a school full of badly behaved pupils, and even worse behaved teachers, was that he could get away with doing absolutely no work whatsoever. In fact, he'd spent most the day wandering aimlessly through the corridors. No one asked where he was going, or what he was doing as long as he had a pile of random papers under one arm. Which suited him fine. He didn't exactly want to do stupid teaching, did he?

Although, for some reason he suspected that he would be quite a hit with the students. Not to sound arrogant, of course. Well not that arrogant. He had to sound a bit arrogant didn't he? He was Captain John Hart! Captain John Hart who for some strange reason couldn't get the image of blonde haired, blue eyed angels out of his head...He shook his head violently. He was already sick of all those thoughts filling his head. What had he been thinking about...

Oh yeah. How he'd get on famously with the students if he ever did get round to teaching. Not that he wanted to, but if he did. After all, he knew he would be the best teacher ever. He'd actually teach them what was important in life. Like with that pair he'd found writing swearwords on the wall of the male changing room. He'd done what was best – which was the correct their spelling, suggest a few new ones (their knowledge was...limited, to say the least) and then send them on their way. They'd looked strangely relieved as they had run off. He couldn't think of any reason why that would have been.

In fact, he was finding this whole school experience quite entertaining. He had been dreading it, but it wasn't actually that bad. He got to laze around all day, exchanging wit with whichever kids he met (even though he had a fairly wide understand of most of the languages used in this part of the universe – mainly thanks to the translators one of his ex's had inserted in his ears – he could hardly understand a word they were saying) and then he spent the rest of the time definitely not watching a certain music teacher.

So at this moment he certainly wasn't stood outside a certain classroom, innocently pretending to read one of the sheet things he'd carried around most of the day, while a class full off kids chattering maddingly together and clutching song sheets poured around him. Definitely not. In fact, as he watched the last pupil round the corner and disappear out of sight over the scrap of paper he was pretending to be immersed in, he was certain that he was not in any way acting like a stalker. Which was a good thing, seeing as stalkers didn't usually plan to ask their stalkerees out that night. Not that he would know that of course. So all he had to do to ensure the quick shag which would so obviously erase this certain person from his already crowded head, was to act cool, calm and...

"Why are you carrying a pile of leaflets on sexual health?"

Shit.

John turned around slowly, a grin already masterfully in place on his face. Good thing too – if it hadn't been he probably would have first turned tomato red from embarrassment, and second run screaming from the building. Although both of those options were still looking open to him.

"Well?" The blond god in front of him was also grinning. A teasing, cheeky, I've-so-got-to-tell-people-this grin, which reached right up to his eyes.

"Shit."

Matt laughed, turning around and walking back into his room, gesturing for John to follow.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone..."

"There's nothing to tell! I just picked up a random pile of crap! I didn't know what it was. Didn't bother looking. Was only carrying it so some bastard wouldn't jump on me and send me off to a hellish class."

Great. Now he was also burbling. This was just bloody typical. He actually was considering smashing his head on the piano Matt was now stood next to. Although, to be honest he had no idea why.

"Ok...if you say so." There was a glint in the blue eyes which John didn't quite trust...Alright, if he was honest, he didn't trust a word he was saying and was sure that as soon as he left Matt would be knocking on the door to the cursed Stephanie Haydock's room.

"I wouldn't do a thing like that!" Matt said, looking innocent. John laughed. Then frowned.

"Erm...I didn't say anything..."

Matt blinked, looking confused. "Umm...yes...you just said I'd knock on Steph's door..."

"Oh..."

John could have sworn he had just thought that. He was sure he hadn't said anything...but then again Matt had that memory loss/easily distracted-by-adorable-cuteness effect on him (even though he was reluctant to admit it). Still...

"Anyway..." Matt turned away quickly, looking down at the assorted sheets lying in random piles on top of the piano, "How are you finding life at Waterloo Road?"

John looked blank. "Where's that then."

Matt looked up at him slowly. "Um...this school...duh."

"Oh...right..." He couldn't help it. He was already lost in those eyes. "I thought it was the name of the pub."

"Why would it be the name for the pub?" Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged. "Well I don't know do I?"

"You should know where you work..."

"I'd rather get to know the pub..."

"Don't worry. Most of the staff end up down there most nights. You should come along – it's always a laugh."

"I'd rather just go with you..."

"I'm sorry?" Matt looked surprised. John grinned.

"You. Me. Pub. Tonight?"

"Well..."

"That's sorted then. I'll see you at 7." John winked flirtatiously.

He was delighted when he got a dazzling smile as a response. Well...he thought he was. With his heart thumping so painfully in his chest it was kind of hard to tell.

* * *

**Review? :D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Am very, very sorry for the long wait! I have had so much on, you wouldn't be able to believe me (but rest assured, aliens were not involved...Ahem...) And a big, BIG thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed. They make me feel loved :D So...next bit. Just a filler really, scribbled down. So sorry for it's crappiness! *cringes***

* * *

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"YOU CAN'T!"

"I BLOODY CAN!"

"IF YOU TWO DON'T SHUT THE HELL UP YOU'RE BOTH CLEANING THE SUV OUT TOMORROW WITH TOOTHBRUSHES!"

Owen looked up over the out of date motorbike magazine he was pretending to be immersed in with interest. For the first time since they had got back from 'work' the hotel room was silent. No one was shouting at one another, arguing over the beds, shouting down the telephone, shouting out the window, or anything like that. It was quite peaceful really. Although, judging by the heated looks still coming from the two boys (no way was he going to call them 'men') stood in the middle of the room, and the positively murderous look coming from a certain dark haired welsh woman, that peace was unlikely to last.

Still, it was relaxingly different to how it had been for the past three hours, ever since they had left the stupid building they were meant to work in. Considering all that had happened since then, Owen was actually quite amazed that any of them were still alive.

For starters, there had been that whole getting lost when trying to find the hotel thing, which had already been sorted out by everyone putting the blame on Gwen. Which served her right really. She had been the one to change the SAT-Nav instructions into welsh and move the driving chair, hadn't she? And Jack was never the sort of driver who would submit easily into admitting he was lost. Cue a half hour of blinding road rage instead of the easy five minutes it should have been. Owen was so walking home tomorrow.

And then there had been the trouble when they had gotten to the hotel. Trouble which had, once again, been blamed on Gwen much to her annoyance. It seemed that a certain someone had forgotten to book the rooms. Gwen had been denying that was her, and saying loudly to any of them who would listen that she had called ahead and booked them all rooms. Eventually she had shut up, which had been mainly to do with the glares coming at her from all directions in the pokey two bed, rear facing room they had been shoved into.

Once they had all gotten their luggage and other random crap (Owen had forgotten how much crap people take with them. All he had brought was a couple of changes of clothes and spare shoes, and even that was pushing it. He had stared in amazement at the sheer amount of toiletries the girls had bought) into the pokey little room, then there had been the argument about sleeping arrangements.

For the first time in a long while, Owen was glad he no longer needed sleep.

John (the little prick, Owen sneered) had run in ahead of them all, and into the wrong room it appeared, and immediately bagsised the biggest bed. And then he had been hauled off by a very annoyed looking balding man, and pointedly shoved out of the door. By the time he had gotten to the room they were actually in (and given himself time for the crimson blush to fade), he had been met by the loud argument issuing from Jack and Gwen, both of whom were trying to prove why they should get the biggest bed.

In the end, Gwen won, but only if Tosh shared with her. Which worked out fine, seeing as Jack then immediately yelled out, "Bagsie sleeping with Ianto!" Cue tomato faced tea boy, suggestively smirking captain, and hysterically laughing doctor. John, after a lot of yelling, screaming and general tantrum throwing, had been banished to the window seat.

Owen had half watch all this unfold, and half concentrated on how the shower in the little ensuite bathroom worked. In the end, Tosh had to come in to show him. However, for some strange reason, neither of them had thought to get out of the shower before it was turned on, and so ended up rather...wet. Then they had collapsed, laughing so hard they could no longer stand, onto Jack's bed. Which hadn't made him happy...Ianto had only managed to shut his whining up by promising that he would help him with the shower later. So then the rest of the group had only had to put up with his irritating smirk for the next couple of hours.

The last argument had actually been what had wiped that smirk of his face, something of which Owen was privately glad. John had suddenly, after Gwen had spent ages haggling with the local delivery place down the phone, gotten to his feet and said that he was going out for dinner. To which Jack had replied in his normal manner when John was concerned – by instantly telling him to do the opposite.

"Look, I've arranged to meet someone. So if you will excuse me..." John pointedly looked at the clock on the wall reading 6:45, then glared at Jack, trying to make him move out of the way.

Jack crossed his arms, standing more firmly in front of the door. Tosh and Ianto groaned at the same time.

"Who?"

John raised an eyebrow, "Is it any of your business?"

"Where you're concerned, yes."

"Erm...I don't think so, sunshine. Who I meet is no concern of yours, seeing as _we_ don't exist any more."

"Well...do I know them?"

John sighed, rolling his eyes, and turned away. "In a matter of speaking."

"What's that meant to mean?"

"Well, you've seen them around."

"Boy or girl?"

"Boy. Not that it's any of your business." John started walking away from him, heading to the tiny bathroom.

"Thought you wanted to go out..."

John didn't stop, just reached out to open the toilet door. "What, when you so obviously don't want me to Jack? No, I think I'd rather sit here and watch they eye sex between you and tea boy for hours. Now, if you excuse me, I need a piss."

He opened the door, and walked into the tiny bathroom. The door shut, and the bolt could be heard drawing across the other side. Apart from that the room was silent, and all eyes turned to Jack.

"What?"

Tosh sighed, catching Owen's eye from where they were both squashed in one of the squashy-ish armchairs. "How long are you going to keep doing this, Jack?"

Jack looked blank. "Doing what?"

"Keeping him locked up."

Jack frowned, jabbing a finger in her direction. "If you think I'm..."

"You can't stop him going out, Jack..." Ianto said quietly from his spot on one the beds.

"I'm sorry? Who are you to tell me what to do?" Jack said, acid dripping from his voice. Then he instantly regretted it as the flash of hurt flared upon Ianto's face momentarily before being replaced by blankness. "Look...I just don't completely trust him yet, alright? I think it's best that we just keep an eye on him, that's all."

"And it's nothing to do with your private life?" Gwen said, raising an eyebrow.

Jack glared at her, speaking in a deliberately slow voice. "Nothing."

Gwen grinned. "Good. Seeing as I'm sure John's just climbed out of the bathroom window."

Owen couldn't help it; he burst into laughter at Jack's face. His jaw had dropped, and he stared disbelievingly at Gwen. "No.."

Tosh giggled slightly. "If you hadn't been so busy ranting you would have heard him. He wasn't exactly quiet."

Jack just looked around at them all, before striding over to the bathroom door with a furious expression, putting an arm out to open it.

There was a sharp thwacking sound of flesh against wood.

The rest of the team stared down at Jack's body on the floor.

"Do you think he didn't hear John lock the door?" Gwen mused after a while.

"I actually think he forgot the door was there. He just tried to walk straight through it." Owen said, laughing.

"Do you think he's alright?" Ianto asked, looking worried for his almost-lover.

"Well, if he isn't he can swear pretty badly for a not alright person, can't he?" Owen said, propping his feet up on the coffee table, and sinking as far as he could into his shared chair. "Tell you what, I'll bet a tenner that the next thing he'll do is get the SUV and drive all around this cursed town looking for Johnny boy."

Silence fell again. Then there was the swish of army style coat and the loud slam of the hotel room door. Then Gwen spoke. "I'll make it twenty."

* * *

**Don't shoot meeee!! *runs away very quickly***


	12. Chapter 12

**Very, very, very sorry for the amazingly long wait before posting this chapter. Have been struggling with it for ages, and still don't think it's right, to be honest. But gaahhh, if I look at it any more, I think I will go mad :P**

**Disclaimer as usual: None of the characters from Torchwood or Waterloo Road belong to me (oh, except Alys :D), they belong to whoever was the wonderpeep who created them :D**

* * *

To John, waking up in a strange, unfamiliar room was not exactly unusual. In fact, honestly, it often happened, after a night out lording it over the lesser humans on this planet. Or on other planets, really...But actually, what was slightly more unusual was not being able to remember anything. Not being able to remember anything at all.

He sat up, looking around groggily. His eyes blearily scanned the postered walls of the room, the long shelf of DVDs, the tatty sofa he was sprawled on. The whole place in fact, hoping for some sort of inclination as to what the hell he was doing there in the first place. And the noise of the running shower in the background was playing havoc with his already thumping head. He groaned, passing on hand over his face.

_What the hell happened last night?_

The only explanation he could come up with was that he'd managed to do what he's set out to do in the first place. Shag the blonde haired angel who'd been so annoyingly haunting him. In fact...yes, that must have been what happened. Ok, so...that theory had one or two flaws in it, such as the small matter that there was no way John Hart would have gotten this drunk when trying to pull a guy. The point of trying to pull the guy had been that he'd been able to think about the shag, hadn't it, instead of gawping unseemly at him. Alcohol doesn't make remembering exactly easy, making his pounding head seem an obvious flaw in his otherwise perfect theory.

Oh, and the...pair of high heels by the TV.

Right.

See...As far as John Hart knew (and he really was racking his brains now, trying desperately to remember), Matthew Wilding wasn't the type of bloke to wear sparkily red heels. Even though those blokes were lovely, of course. Ahem.

"Oh...You're awake then?"

John turned his head slowly in the direction of the soft, obviously female voice. In his concern that maybe Matt _was_ the type of guy to wear high heels, he'd kinda not heard the shower switch off. Crap.

Although, the girl standing in the doorway wasn't exactly the worse one he'd landed himself with. She was quite cute really, with short brown hair, darkish skin, and the faint traces of last nights mascara smudged around her eyes, that one little bit which was always left behind after a shower. Water droplets ran from her fringe down her elvin (Toshiko like, he reflected) cheeks, before smoothly gliding along the bare expanse of skin seen above the towel wrapped around her, and disappearing down the dark crevice between her breats.

She laughed. And John's eyes flickered back up to looking at her face. "Err..."

She grinned slightly. "Embarrassed, are you?"

"No." John was quite hurt by the very accusation. He never got embarrassed. Well...unless a pile of sexual health leaflets and a blonde Greek god are involved, of course.

"Uh..."

God, what was wrong with him? He could barely string two words together at the moment. He blamed the hangover.

"Did we...do anything last night?"

The girl looked over at him from where she was rummaging through an over-flowing washing basket, and raised one of her slightly slanted eyebrows.

"You're still dressed. Or are you that dead you didn't realise."

"Oh..." John groans again, putting his head in his hands, her laughter seriously starting to bug him now. "So...what..."

"...are you doing here?" the girl asked, turning to him full on this time. "Good question. I got home from the club to find you completely pissed, and peeing in my front porch."

Now it was John's turn to raise an eyebrow. "And you brought me inside?"

The girl shrugged. "You kinda begged me to. Kept going on about someone wanting to kill you. Someone called...Jack, or something."

John groaned yet again, swinging his feet off the sofa and pulling himself upright, stumbling slightly. "Uh...thanks...Do you mind if I have a shower?"

She laughed again. "No problem."

He looked at her again, more closely this time, pushing aside the thumping drum beats echoeing through his head as he ran his eyes over the girl in front of him. Maybe...

"I don't suppose you would..." he took a step closer to her, that masterful grin back in place on his flawless face. "...Care to join me?"

The girls laughed again. "I don't think so sunshine. That wouldn't be a good idea."

John pouted, looking at her through his wide, innocent (looking, of course) eyes. "How do you know?"

The girl put a hand on her hip, looking at him, "One, I don't think my girlfriend would be too happy about it, and Two...You've already got someone, remember?"

John blinked. "I...do?"

"Well, yeah, you wouldn't shut up about them last night. A guy called Matt? You said..."she frowned slightly, thinking. "You said...that you would prove it, prove it to him...And that you'd give up for him as well...Or something."

Right.

Now John was probably even more confused than when he had been when he'd gotten up. "Er...ok...Um..."

Making his way to the door seemed like the best option. Opening it was a bit tricky...Took him a few tries to realise you pushed instead of pulled, but before long he was standing on the front path of the house, looking up and down a neat looking street. A neat looking street which was actually surprisingly close to the school.

"Didn't you want a shower?"

He turned around to look at the front door again. The girl had followed him, and was now standing in the doorway, tying a silken dressing gown around herself. "No...don't worry, I'll grab one at work." He grinned. "I can get away with it."

She laughed yet again. She looked like she always should be laughing, to him. John eyed her again. She wasn't that bad really. Not as...well, good as Matt, but certainly close. In fact, if he hadn't been so besotted with the guy he worked with, he most likely would have...

Crap. Work.

John made to run down the path, but stopped, turning around again. "I probably asked you last night or something, but I can't remember a thing so...What's your name."

The girl smiles. "Alys. My names Alys Smith."

John smiled back at her. "Nice to meet you, Alys Smith. And thanks."

ALys watched him go, leaning against the door frame and smiling slightly to herself, one hand holding a mobile-like-device in one hand. A small device which's screen had starting flashing brightly, beeping annoyingly in her ear, telling her that the other half of the device, the half she'd slipped into John's jacket pocket when he was out, had been activated.

"No...thank you, John Hart."

_Tracer Implanted. _

_Scanning..._

_SD - Located._

* * *

**Aha, I shall leave it there, me thinks ;) Review?**

**xx**


End file.
